Magisk: "We are not expected to achieve great results"

Emil "Magisk" Reif, a member of Team Falcons, assessed the performance of his teammate Álvaro "SunPayus" García in the match against BIG, which secured their spot in the group stage of IEM Cologne 2024. In an interview with HLTV, Reif noted that this victory would boost the Spaniard’s confidence.

"I think such a breakthrough series and a few good maps in a row were really necessary. Of course, it’s great to see him step up at such a crucial moment and deliver some excellent rounds. So yes, this will give him confidence. It’s been tough for him in recent games, so it’s nice to see him overcome that barrier and start moving forward, focusing on the next game."

The Danish esports player also discussed whether the team has any expectations for the group stage of IEM Cologne 2024. According to Magisk, some opponents might underestimate his team.

"I believe that almost any top-20 team can beat each other on a good day. So, we’ll give it our all. Not much is expected of us, and there’s no pressure on us. We just need to go into the game and play confidently for the win. Engage in duels we enjoy, and make decisions on the map when we feel like it.

That’s obviously what we want to do. But doing it is another story, but I think we should just enjoy the fact that not much is expected from us, and I even think we might be underestimated. But in the end, if we don’t play Counter-Strike well, if we don’t play well as a team or individually, we won’t be able to beat our opponents. So, we need to be more consistent at this stage if we want to progress further."

The Falcons won two consecutive matches in the lower bracket of the Play-In stage at IEM Cologne 2024 and advanced to the group stage of the championship. In the first round of the lower bracket, the team defeated ALTERNATE aTTaX, followed by a victory over BIG. Falcons were relegated to the lower bracket after losing to Eternal Fire.